Kayo

Was born 17 March 2013. He is a cross between Retriever, Labrador and Rottweiler; appearance is mostly as a Black Lab. Weighing 29Kg, he has newly been neutered.

At Stillwater Lake we have 200 acres, with waterfront, wharf and cabin. Doug is retired, while Gail is very busy with work—for the next ten months until she retires, finally!

Kayo is very friendly with other dogs and all people we have seen so far—it has been almost a week.

Dash at the City Pound

The first issues we encountered were when attempting to walk the dog—our last dog insisted on at least one walk a day, just after breakfast. Kayo did not seem to recognize any commands—even recognize his name! Everything Kayo saw on the walk appeared to be strange for him.

I should add that the trip from the pound to home was interesting as well. Being just myself when we adopted, the dog did not want to go in the truck. Once in, it tried to rest on my shoulders and neck! Eventually I had to tie up Kayo to the passenger seat for our safety!

So we have now described that walks and vehicles appear strange for the dog. We did notice that Kayo did not seem to be peeing or pooping at all. I had arranged a system to tie out the dog when needed. At first we thought we were missing the moment.

In our home, Kayo rapidly discovered the entire layout. We have a bit of a strange house with only an informal main floor and a more formal second floor that is not used much. We heat with wood, so the wood stove and wood storage are also on the main floor.

At first we let Kayo have the run of our home; then Gail noticed that he had pooped upstairs. During a general cleaning, later, I noticed at least four separate locations that Kayo had peed upstairs. It seems that Kayo always had done his business indoors! We are working on this in a gentle way but to see him outside doing his business now, it seems from his stance that he really does not look normal. For example he walks as he poops, and he squats when he pees.

Come, sit, break, down, 'Kayo', heel, all seem new to him.

2014年04月28日...Kayo is doing just fine though he is a bit needy compared with our previous 14 year old we had.

A few notes on his behaviour:

He did not seem to understand our full length mirror in the bedroom. What was that dog doing at the window?

Originally Kayo did not seem to know how to play with the numerous dog toys that we have acquired. Now he loves to play with them and with us.

This dog loves to chew. We have had a few disasters—I lost one very nice collectable book. So we keep dog bones, chew toys and allow firewood to be available to limit our loses.

Food. At first Kayo did not seem to have much of an appetite. He now seems to relish everything. He has no morals about whose food is whose, and will rob food from the dining table if not guarded well. He has enough height to sniff at table height and stands on two legs easily to reach out. Kayo does not guard food and allows us to take food and bones away from him

Squirrels are his enemy and he keeps an eye out for them inside and out.

Lakeside. Kayo was in the water before the ice went out. He fell off the wharf as we put out the floating wharf. Just loves the water and everything below the surface. Puts his head completely underwater to pick things up.

Walk-time. At first Kayo was unruly, pulling all the time. With a little training now he has progressed well and reacts appropriately to people and pets we meet.

Jumping up as a welcome back. This continues to be a problem. At about 60 pounds in a tall dog, when Kayo jumps up to greet us, it is a bit much. We are working on this.

Training. He has been doing very well, we believe. It is still early but we have been faithful to training every day. With lessons only once a week, we are still quite early in the process. He has been introduced to other dogs at class.

Cars. It seems evident that Kayo was never in a vehicle. I, Doug, am retired so I do not travel much. But I do like to walk somewhere different most days—Kayo gets a 1 hour walk in the early morning—we travel by truck for about 10 minutes. Anyhow Kayo was reluctant at first; now he just jumps in, expecting no reward. He is tethered in the back seat so I can drive.

Affection. Kayo loves affection being shown to him, and he loves to show affection, including jumping up, big licks and kisses. We are working on this.

Digging and eating anything outside. This is a minor issue. He does not seem to have had a lot of time outside in previous life!

As above, his habits on pee and pooh seem a little awkward—an example is that he often walks a little while in the process of pooh.

Boundaries. Kayo does not seem to recognize that we do not want him to go some places; upstairs, and in the kitchen are two areas that we don't want him to go. We are having problems there, even with barriers.

Strangers. Kayo is really not having any problems with new visitors.

Kennel. We have a large secure kennel area and Kayo uses this when we go out to dinner for example. He was reluctant to go to the kennel after the first time being alone. Now he is adjusting, and a treat will entice him to enter the kennel area. He barks a little while we leave but we think that he settles down as soon as we are out of sight.

Don't trust him. We do not trust him alone in the house or the car for anything beyond five minutes. He may want to chew anything. But probably this will not be a longstanding problem.

Furniture and the bed. Kayo started with expecting to be up on the couch and bed. He knows better than that now but continues to try.

2014年05月25日 Kayo completed his training about 10 days ago—dun grad-i-ated! He is pretty good IF we pay attention with our training aid—the Dogtra training collar. Otherwise he is about as reliable as Tibow ever was...not much. He is still a pup in many ways, especially in the morning, when he loves to jump on the bed for a cuddle with sleeping Gail. Just a word or two on dog training with the Dogta electronic collar. Ted Efthymiadis of Unleashed Potential Halifax was great at reasoning out our fears on this method of training. We each now know how much 'negative re-enforcement' is applied by the collar. With a dog that is a bit older and never trained, we deemed this an appropriate system.

Looking at the list above, most seem to continue as a problem area. He now loves the car/truck. He found some squat on the wharf which he proceeded to lay down in, and promptly fell off the wharf, for his first swim ever. He was a bit panicked at first as evidenced by his front paws splashing a lot but by the time he got to shore his strokes had vastly improved. (Luckily he did not get tied up in his lease system.) Kayo still loves to chew and insists on some morning entertainment otherwise he will find something inappropriate to chew...shoes, toilet paper rolls, and the couch are his alternatives.

At the lake he is curious about everything and loves to dig.

He is improving everyday and does not show any aggression except against squirrels.

Posted by Doug Frizzle at 10:35 No comments:

Labels: 2014, Doug Frizzle, Gail Kelly, kayo, Stillwater

Location: Upper Tantallon, NS, Canada

Drums Along the Amazon

Victor G. C. Norwood

Jacket design bye. b. mudge Marriott

18/ -net

Jacket notes for this book./drf

Drums Along the Amazon takes the reader into the strange far-off lands that border South America’s mighty Amazon. Into this alien world came the author and his colleagues seeking gold and precious stones. These tough, intrepid and colourful characters endured extreme hardship, disease and loneliness as well as constant danger from wild animals, snakes and the savage primitive tribes who struck silently and then slipped back into the trackless jungle.

This authentic account of life among the forbidding tropical forests and of contact with the fierce tribes in the “Green Hell” of the Matto Grosso makes absorbing and exciting read­ing for the countless readers who enjoy tales of true adventure.

About the Author

Victor G. C. Norwood has not yet realized his ambition of travelling across Africa in an amphibious vehicle taking photographs on the journey. He has, however, crammed into his 42 years a great deal of action and adventure. Happily married with two sons aged 22 and 7, Mr. Norwood has travelled extensively in Africa, America and Europe and spent many years diamond prospecting in British Guiana and Brazil.

He was a former heavyweight boxing and wrestling champion until he lost two fingers in a skirmish with Brazilian revolutionaries. During the last war he served in the Merchant Navy as Q.M. Machine Gunner until he received severe injuries due to enemy action. Despite his constant search for adventure in remote places, Victor Norwood had two years’ operatic voice training and has sung in all parts of the world and has appeared at numerous charity performances. He lives at present in North Lincolnshire.

Victor Norwood

(Victor George Charles Norwood)

UK (1920 - 1983) California

aka Coy Banton, Sane V Baxter, Jim Bowie, Clay Brand, Victor Brand, Ella Howard Bryan, Paul Clevinger, Walt Cody, Shayne Colter, Wes Corteen, Clint Dangerfield, Johnny Dark, Vince Destry, Doone Fargo, Mark Fenton, Wade Fisher, G Gearing-Thomas, Mark Hampton, Hank Janson, Nat Karta, Whip McCord, Brett Rand, Brad Regan, Shane Russell, Rhondo Shane, Victor Shane, Jim Tressidy

Novels

Raw Deal for Dames (1952) (as by Mark Hampton)

Cry of the Beast (1953)

Gun Trail to Glory (1954)

Vision Sinister (1954) (as by Nat Karta)

Man Alone! (1956)

Hell's Wenches (1963)

The Hellbender (1963)

Hard Hombre (1964) (as by Jim Tressidy)

Ranger Gun-Law (1964) (as by Wade Fisher)

Journey of Fear (1965)

Lawman's Code (1965)

Blood On the Sage (1966) (as by Coy Banton)

Death Valley (1966) (as by Doone Fargo)

Gun Chore (1966) (as by Wes Corteen)

Gunsmoke Justice (1966)

Halfway to Hell (1966) (as by Clint Dangerfield)

Hellfire Range (1966) (as by Whip McCord)

Powdersmoke (1966) (as by Clay Brand)

Code of the Lawless (1967) (as by Brett Rand)

The Gun Hellion (1967) (as by Rhondo Shane)

Lattimer's Last Ride (1967) (as by Clay Brand)

The Long Haul (1967)

Valley of the Damned (1968)

Hell Town (1970)

A Badge and a Gun (1975)

A Hand Full of Diamonds

Non fiction

A Hand Full of Diamonds (1960)

Drums Along the Amazon (1964)

Jungle Life in Guiana (1964)

some adapted from: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n/victor-norwood/

Posted by Doug Frizzle at 16:32 No comments:

Labels: drums along the amazon, victor g c norwood, victor norwood

A. Hyatt Verrill published the very popular Knots, Splices and Rope Work in 1912 after this article appeared. That book is still in strong demand and was illustrated by the author./drf

Fancy Knots and Rope Work

by A. Hyatt Verrill

From The American Boy magazine, December, 1910, Vol. 12, No. 2. Digitized by Doug Frizzle, May 2014.

IN THE August AMERICAN BOY I told you how to make some useful knots and splices and in this issue I will try to describe some of the more ornamental and fancy knots.

These fancy knots are useful as well as ornamental, however, and if you ever look about on board any vessel, be she yacht, merchantman or man-o-war, you will be sure to see several of them in use and to the inexperienced they appear most complicated and difficult. In reality it is no harder to tie a good Turk’s Head or Matthew Walker than a bowline or reef knot once you know how.

In the old days of sailing ships every able-bodied seaman could tie practically any knot, and “marlinspike seamanship” was considered as of considerable importance. Nowadays, wire rigging and steam have rendered knots, ties and splices of less value and importance, but, nevertheless, almost every ship has at least one member of the crew who is a proper seaman and can tie knots, splice, serve or weave sennet as well as any of the old-time salts.

After you have learned how to tie the various knots you will constantly find new uses for them which never occurred to you before and if you own a boat of any sort you can add much to her appearance and “yachtiness” by a liberal use of your skill in knotting and splicing. The most important of the ornamental knots and the ones I shall try to teach you to make, are the Crown, with its variations, Figs. 1, 2, 3; the Wall, Figs. 4 and 5; the Matthew Walker, Fig. 6, and the Turk’s Head, Fig. 7. By the use of these and combinations of two or more an immense number of fancy knots may be devised and many of these combinations have been in such general use that they have become recognized as regular knots, such as the Nail and Crown, Double Wall and Crown, etc. In addition to these real knots, the covering of rope or rigging to make a smooth even finish or rigging to make a smooth even finish or “Worming, Parcelling and Serving,” Fig. 23, should be included as ornamental work, while Four-Stranded Braid and Crown Braiding are widely used in making laniards, hand lines, fenders, etc., Fig. 8. In addition to these the amateur rope worker should be familiar with the “Monkey Chain,” Fig. 9, and should know how to properly sling a barrel, cask or bundle as shown in Fig. 27.

The material best suited to tying fancy Knots is either very fine stranded and flexible hemp or closely twisted soft cotton rope. Either of these is good, but ordinary manilla is too stiff and bristly to work well for the beginner. Select a piece of new rope and some fine cotton twine and if possible have a fid, marlin-spike or piece of smooth-pointed hard wood to help in your work. Unlay the strands of the rope for six inches or so and pass a seizing of twine around the end of each strand and around the rope below as shown in the figure. This will keep your strands and the rope from unlaying further and will save lots of bother. An expert can work without the seizings but you will find it best not to try this. We will now try the simplest of fancy knots, known as the Crown. Holding the rope in your left hand, fold one strand over and away from you, as shown in A, Fig. 10, then fold B over A and, holding these two strands in place by your thumb and finger, pass C over B and through the bight of A as shown. Now pull all the ends tight and work the bights up snug and you will have the single Crown knot shown. This is a poor knot to stand by itself, however, and is mainly of value as a basis for other knots and for ending up rope. To end up a rope with a Crown it is merely necessary to tuck the ends of the strands under and over the strands of the standing part as shown in Fig. 11, and taper them down and trim closely exactly as in making an Eye Splice described in my former article. This makes a most neat and shipshape way of ending up ropes such as painters, halliards, etc. It will never work loose like a seizing and is quickly put on at any time, whereas one often wants to end up a rope when no small stuff for seizings are at hand.

The Wall, Fig. 12, is almost as simple as the Crown, and in fact is like a Crown reversed. In making this knot bring C downward and across standing part, then bring strand A over C and around standing part and finally bring B over A and up through bight of C. When drawn snug the knot is like Fig. 4, without tucked ends. As in the Crown, the Wall is of value mainly as an ending knot when ends are tucked as in Figs. 4 and 13, or as a basis for other knots. Either the Wall or Crown may be rendered more ornamental and useful by “doubling.” This is done by following around the lay of the strands on a single Wall or Crown. That is, after making your single wall knot, bring strand A up through its own bight, beside the end of C. Then bring B up through its own bight beside A and bring C up through its own bight beside B. This will give you the knot illustrated in Fig. 5 while the same treatment of a Crown will result in the effect shown in Fig. 3. A still better effect may be had by crowning a Wall knot. This is done by first making a Wall and then bringing the strand A up over the top, laying B across A, and bringing C over B and through bight of A, as shown in Fig. 14. This is the foundation of the most beautiful of rope-end knots known as the Double Wall and Crown or Man Rope knot, shown in Fig. 15. Make your single Wall and Crown it, but leave the strands slack. Then pass the ends under and up through the bights of the slack single wall and then push the ends of the side of those in the single crown, pushing them through the same bight in the crown and downward through the walling. It sounds quite difficult, but if you have learned to wall and crown before attempting it, you will find it easy enough for it is really merely “following" the strands of the single wall and crown. The result, if properly done and ends drawn tight and cut off closely, is surprising and to the uninitiated, most perplexing, for if the ends are “tucked” through the strands of the standing part, as shown in Fig. 15, there should be no sign of beginning or ending to this knot. This is, perhaps, the most useful of ornamental knots and it comes in very handy in many places. It is often used in finishing the ends of rope railings to gangways, the ends of Man-ropes (hence the name), for the ends of Yoke-lines, and to form “stoppers” or toggles to bucket handles, slings, etc. Its use in this way is illustrated by Figures 19, 20 and 21, which show a handy topsail halliard toggle formed by turning an eye splice in a short piece of rope finished with a double wall and crown at the end. Such toggles are very useful about small boats. They may be used as stops for furling sails, for slings around gait or spars for hoisting and in a variety of other places which will suggest themselves to the young sailor. The most difficult of ending knots and one which every amateur sailor should learn, is the Matthew Walker, or “Stopper Knot,” Figs 6, 16, 17 and 18. To form this knot, pass one strand around the standing part and through its own bight, then pass B underneath and through the bight of A and through its own bight also. Then pass C underneath around and through bights of A, B, and its own bight. The knot will now appear as in Fig. 17, but by carefully hauling the ends around and working the bights tight a little at a time, the knot will assume the appearance shown in Fig. 10 or Fig. 6. This is a very handsome and useful knot and is widely used on the ends of ropes where they pass through holes, such as bucket handles, ropes for lifting trap-doors, chest handles, etc. The knot is well adapted for this purpose as it is hard, close, and presents an almost flat shoulder on its lower side.

The Turk’s Head, Figs. 7 and 22, is a knot much used aboard yachts and warships and is so handsome and ornamental that it is a great favorite. It is used in ornamenting lower rigging, in forming rings or shoulders on stays or ropes to hold other gear m place, to ornament yoke lines and for forming Slip-collars on knife laniards, gun laniards, etc. it is also used to form collars around stanchions or spars and placed around a rope close beneath a Man-rope knot it gives a beautiful finish. Although so elaborate in effect it is really an easy knot to make and while you may have difficulty in getting it right at first, a little patience and practice will enable you to become proficient and capable of tying it rapidly and easily in any place or position. To make the Turk’s Head have a smooth round stick or other object and some closely twisted or braided small line. Pass two turns with the rope around the rod, A, Fig. 22; pass the upper bight down through the lower and reeve the upper end down through it, B, Fig. 22. Then pass the bight up again and pass the end over the lower bight and up between it and the upper bight. Dip the upper bight again through the lower one and pass the end over what is now the upper bight and between it and the lower, C, Fig. 22. Work around in this manner to the right until the other end is met, when the other part is followed round until a plait of two or more lays is complete, as shown in Figure 7. The Turk’s Head may be drawn as tight as desired around the rod or rope by working up the slack and drawing all bights tight. A variation of this knot may be formed by making the first part as directed and then by slipping the knot to the end of the rod work one side tighter than the other until the Head forms a complete cap as shown in Fig. 22, D. This makes a splendid finish for the ends of stanchions, poles or flag staffs. Ropes that are to be used for hand lines, stanchions, man ropes or life-lines or, in fact, for any purpose where appearance counts, are usually wormed, parcelled or served. Worming consists in twisting a small line into the grooves between the strands of a rope, Fig. 23 A. This fills up the grooves and makes the ropes smooth and ready for parcelling. This is done by wrapping the rope with a strip of canvas, Fig. 23, B. This is tarred and the whole finished by “serving” or wrapping tightly with spun yarn, marlin or other small stuff, Fig. 23 C. Although this may all be done by hand, yet the serving is usually accomplished by using a “serving mallet,” shown in Fig. 23 D. This instrument enables you to work tighter and more evenly than by hand-serving, but in either case the rope to be treated should be stretched tightly between two firm supports. Often a rope is served without parcelling and for ordinary purposes the parcelling is not required.

A variation of serving is made by “halfhitch” work, as shown in Figs. 17 and 8. This is quite pretty when well done and is very easy to accomplish. To do this, take a half-hitch around the rope to be covered, then another below, draw snug, take another half-hitch and so on until the object is covered and the halt- hitches form a spiral twist as shown m the illustrations. Bottles, jugs, ropes, stanchions, fenders, and numerous other objects may be covered with this ornamental half-hitch work and as you become expert you may be able to cover things with several lines of half-hitch work at the same time. Four-strand braiding is highly ornamental and is very easy and simple. The process is shown in Fig. 26 and consists in merely crossing the opposite strands across and past one another as illustrated in A, B and C, Fig. 26. A still more ornamental braid is made by crowning four or more strands or separate lines and looks like the right hand illustration in Fig. 8. The process A is exactly like ordinary crowning and does not require any description. Walling may be continued in the same way, but is not as handsome. The Monkey Chain is sometimes used in ornamental rope work, but is principally useful for shortening rope in such a manner that it may be readily lengthened. It is well shown in Figs. 9 and 24. To make the chain draw a loop of the rope through its own bight, A, Fig. 24, another loop through this, C, Fig. 24, another through this, and so on until the rope is shortened to the required length. The end may then be passed through the last loop as shown at E, Fig. 24. If to be used for a permanent chain the end may remain thus and the chain will never work loose. If used to shorten rope and the slack is required at any time, it is only necessary to slip out the loose end and jerk on the end, when the entire chain will unravel instantly.

No article on knots would be complete without some mention of slings, for to sling a barrel, cask, box or bale safely and easily is often of great value and importance. While the boy familiar with knots and splices will no doubt devise practical slings of his own, yet the three shown herewith in Fig. 27 may serve as hints to readers. Fig. 27 A shows a useful sling for bags or bales, and consists merely of a length of rope spliced together and slip-noosed around the object as shown. B shows how to sling a barrel upright, while C shows how to sling a cask in a horizontal position. In this case the rope may be used with an eye-splice at one end, as illustrated, or it may be merely tied at both ends. Sometimes a similar sling is used in which an eye-splice is turned in each end in place of the knot shown. There are numerous other knots both useful and ornamental, but those described are the more important and if you learn to make all of these you will be able to pick up others from sight or description, for each one learned makes the next easier.

Posted by Doug Frizzle at 21:35 No comments:

Labels: 1910, American Boy, knots, Verrill

Location: North America

How "Big Walsh" Held His Own.

by Frank Rose.

ILLUSTRATED BY DUDLEY TENNANT.

From The Wide World magazine, 1918. Digitized by Doug Frizzle, April, 2014.

"Big Walsh" was an American miner, and herein the Author relates a thrilling experience he had in Bolivia “I have compiled the narrative,” he writes, “from statements made to me by the miner in question. These data were subsequently confirmed by several residents in the city of Oruro, and can therefore be accepted as absolutely correct. The names are slightly changed, and that is all.

IT is most refreshing in this world, with its large proportion of colourless "me-toos,” and “same-here’s,” once in a while to come across a person of real individuality, a landmark, a pillar of strength amongst the spineless, uninteresting majority. Such a person was John Walsh, of whom I wish to tell.

I met him during my early adventurous days in Bolivia, far up amongst those wastes of salt and borax, nitrate and mineral ore. Up amongst the clouds as it were, at three miles elevation above the Pacific and hundreds of miles inland, up there in the dreary wastes of mountain and rock and dazzling plateau, where strange things happen and where man must battle with Nature and with human beings even less kind.

Big Walsh—as we always called him—was from Missouri, and he had a habit of letting you know this fact early in his first conversation with you.

He was a very tall, squarely-built man, of great strength. But the wonderful trait about him was his marvellous personality. He was not a bully by any means, for a more kindly, generous, reasonable man to deal with one could not desire to meet. But when thwarted or about to be overwhelmed by difficulties and disaster, his amazingly forceful character stood out chiselled in granite for all to see.

When I first met him he had just returned from a gold-washing expedition amongst the riverbeds of the higher reaches of the Beni tributaries.

He, with two friends, Smith and Talbot, had contracted “gold-fever,” and—determined to try their luck—had, after considerable difficulty and danger, reached the Tuiche River, where during three months they had washed for gold with fair success.

Then the rather imperious attitude which they assumed had angered the savage tribes thereabouts, and things began to look bad for the three adventurers, for these wild, naked Indians are adepts in cunning and treachery.

At last the gold-searchers had to desist from their quest and prepare to return to civilization.

During the journey back to La Paz they in an evil moment heard that bodies in those parts were buried with heavy gold ornaments, and their cupidity was aroused.

Walsh—who had never laid claim to any beatific sanctitude—admitted to me that, tempted by the apparent ease with which the yellow metal could be procured, they had opened a number of graves in an ancient Indian burial-ground and purloined some such ornaments.

Not for long did the defilers of those ancient tombs escape the vengeance of the natives. The desecration was at once discovered, a frantic cry for punishment of the offenders went up, and a few nights later they were ambushed, when only a few days from La Paz. In the unequal fight which ensued these three—who, overcome by the foul lust for gold, had thus dishonoured their race—were overcome after defending themselves like lions.

Smith and Talbot had been killed and Big Walsh was left for dead. He had, indeed, sustained such dire wounds that had he been an ordinary mortal he surely would also have succumbed.

But next morning he had regained consciousness to find the savages had decamped, carrying away everything of value, their hard-won and ill-gotten gold included. The wounded giant had crawled crab-like to an adjacent stream, had bathed his wounds, and bound them up, though in sorry fashion.

He had struggled on for several days, he hardly knew how, and was subsequently rescued by a picket of Bolivian soldiers and taken to La Paz.

In the kaleidoscopic turmoil of my own adventurous career I lost sight of my strange friend until some four years later.

We met at Oruro, in which town he related to me the recent remarkable experiences which had befallen him in the neighbourhood.

For a long while after his unfortunate and nearly fatal gold-washing expedition to the north he had suffered ill-luck and continual reverses.

Then by pure chance he had discovered traces of tin, and by much laborious effort had in time developed a really rich working. After a time he was able to employ a score of Chilean labourers, more difficult to handle than the local people, but much better workers.

For a time all went well, until one day, being unable to obtain cash in time to cover his pay-roll, his men had become troublesome.

Big Walsh was not one to put up with any nonsense, and to assert his authority effectually he had thrashed the ringleader.

This only added fuel to the smouldering fires of Chilean wrath and hatred. Venganza was sworn, and the American miner found himself in deadly peril. But his stout spirit quailed not, nor did he even dream of leaving his solitary hut. This was not the Walsh way of meeting trouble; he merely took down and cleaned his weapon, a much-used Winchester rifle, loaded it, and then likewise loaded his capacious pipe and calmly awaited developments.

They did not delay long in arriving.

Walsh, tough old campaigner as he was, lived quite alone in a small shanty, fixed with the barest necessities. He had a faithful old watchman, whose duty it was to guard the workings and to report every night to his master that all was well.

The night of the trouble was dark and stormy and still; no moon shone, and even the stars seemed shrouded by the stormy clouds which scudded across an angry sky.

Later, distant rumblings were heard which seemed to shake the very earth. A storm was brewing and might at any moment break with the terrifying violence customary at these electrically charged altitudes.

Big Walsh, quite oblivious to threats of elements and of man, lay on his back upon his canvas-covered catre, quietly reading a much-thumbed book on mineralogy.

Hearing a knock at the door, our friend, thinking it was the watchman and suspecting nothing, hastened to open it, only to find himself confronted by a dozen or more of his men, excited by liquor.

With the foulest of curses they rushed at their erstwhile master and intended victim, but the Missourian with a sweep or two of his powerful arms, hurled them back and succeeded in closing his door.

The attacking party, who mostly had firearms, besides the inevitable knife, started a regular fusillade on the hut, which was none too strong.

Walsh had at once darkened his only room and proceeded in his usual grim manner to exact heavy toll of his numerous assailants.

Crouching stealthily beside his little window he patiently awaited his chance, and as a figure would be dimly distinguishable he would fire with deadly precision, seldom failing to “wing” his quarry.

In this manner he placed three hors de combat and slightly wounded several others. Thus, bravely and cleverly, he fought, but the odds were too great even for the redoubtable Yankee.

The assailants were Chileans and were consequently most determined fighters. By attacking simultaneously, they gave him all he could do to beat them off. At last, when one of them, more daring than the rest, climbed to the roof and commenced to fire down through it and the second shot penetrated the little table at which Walsh was just then standing, he began to realize that his position was becoming untenable and resolved upon a bold course. He would make a sortie. It was typical of the very nature of the man to conceive this daring plan.

Having quickly loaded up all his remaining cartridges, he stealthily unfastened the door, and then when the moment seemed propitious, opened it and rushed out.

Thanks to the surprise—for his enemies little suspected that even he would adopt such tactics and to the darkness, also to the fact that he sprinted in a zigzag course, he managed to reach the cover of some rocks without a single shot touching him.

Dropping out of sight, he waited. Then as the men—now more wary—approached, he fired with his usual caution and precision, causing them to fall back once more.

After thus repulsing them momentarily, he would retire to more distant cover, and with such skill did he do this that, in the end, he actually succeeded in evading the whole gang. For after warily stalking and firing at what looked like the American’s head, showing above a rock, they at last managed to hit it, only to discover that they had been tricked, as their target had been merely his much-worn hat.

Meanwhile the wily Missourian had, under cover of the night, made good his escape. During all this fighting he had only received a slight wound in the shoulder. Then the threatening storm broke in all its mad violence, the heavens opened, the lightning crackled, whilst torrential rains fell in hissing masses.

Having had perforce to shelter for a while from the tempest, no sooner had it begun to abate than Big Walsh resumed his course, and all the rest of that night he stolidly tramped towards Oruro—for all this drama had been enacted some four leagues from that adobe-constructed town. He reached there just after five in the morning. It might be supposed that he at once sought out the police, to report how he had been attacked by his men; but yet again I must say—this was not Walsh’s way.

He looked up his friend Cameron, who fitted him out with a fresh stock of ammunition for his Winchester, and also lent him a couple of good revolvers.

Without even a rest—delaying only to make a hearty meal—this intrepid fellow set out for his mine again, prepared to fight his way back to possession of his property.

But upon his arrival he was surprised to find the whole place deserted. So he coolly took up his old quarters and resumed his former life, as if nothing untoward had occurred to disturb it.

However, his Chilean enemies had meanwhile informed the police, giving their version of the whole affair, and a few days later a couple of soldiers came from the Oruro authorities to arrest him.

Walsh curtly refused to have anything to do with them, telling them that they had better bring someone in authority. So off they went to report.

The following day an officer with ten men galloped up to his door, peremptorily demanding his immediate surrender.

As Walsh naively explained to me, he could not very well resist the whole Bolivian army, but he did parley until the officer promised that—conditionally upon his surrender without resistance—he would be well treated and not deprived of his arms.

So Big Walsh, the invincible, gave in, and sorry for it he soon was, too.

For, once outside, the officer—with a delightful disregard for his solemn promise had him seized, and after a fierce struggle, in which he nearly choked two soldiers, he was thrown down, disarmed, and bound.

He was then brusquely ordered to march, which for a time he did. Then, feeling the ignominy of walking whilst these monkey-soldiers rode, he stopped and stolidly refused to move another step.

The officer bullied and threatened, but all to no effect, or rather the real effect was quite contrary to his expectations, for he found that, armed as he was and with half-a-score of men at his command, there was a something in the hard, steely eyes of this tied-up giant of men which he dared not meet with his own debauched and bloodshot gaze.

Eventually the officer, with a muttered curse, ordered one of his men to dismount and let this determined prisoner ride into Oruro.

On arrival he was lodged in jail.

The wheels of justice rotate slowly in Bolivia, and the Walsh case dragged on for a long time. His appeal against the imprisonment with which he was to be punished for so bravely defending himself went to the United States Minister and was duly transmitted back to Sucre, which was then the capital of Bolivia—La Paz not yet having revolted to change this.

Meanwhile Big Walsh’s wonderful personality was asserting itself in a truly remarkable manner. To such an extent did he dominate those around him that, incredible as it may seem, he practically ruled the Oruro jail. He made such a fuss about his quarters that at last the Commandante, in sheer desperation, gave up his own room to him.

Then he insisted upon being allowed out daily for exercise, and a guard was sent with him, who became virtually Walsh’s servant.

He was well received by all the foreign residents, who delighted to show hospitality to this worthy representative of Uncle Sam. Upon one occasion he made his servant-guard so drunk that the latter had to be carried back by his prisoner. The American slung the drunken fellow on his shoulder and carried him through the streets—much to the delight of the populace, and presenting himself with his burden to the officer in charge coolly asked that a better specimen be detailed to wait upon him in future.

When the wheels of diplomacy had revolved in their ponderous manner and the order came to release him, Walsh refused te leave, declaring he would stay until he had received compensation for his false imprisonment of several months. After some time a compromise was reached. I believe the Bolivian Government did have to pay a considerable sum, and Big Walsh left his “ hotel,” as he termed it, after making the whole garrison drunk in his honour.

Posted by Doug Frizzle at 20:07 No comments:

Labels: Bolivia, frank rose, la paz, oruro, sucre, tuiche river, walsh

Location: Sucre, Bolivia